PLUMBLINE -- Editor, Wayne Coats
Vol. 4 No. 7, February 2000
Included in the slurp which Shelly wrote was the statement, "with the blessing of our shepherds Rubel Shelly is serving as a General Committee member on behalf of this outreach effort."
We read further from Shelly, "several of our shepherds wrote letters of invitation to Dr. Graham to encourage him to come to our city." Such brazen compromising efforts need to be exposed. One can never find a more two-faced situation than that depicted by Shelly and his shepherds who like to pose as representatives of the church of Christ when Billy comes to town. When not burping with Billy the Baptist, they babble about dropping the expression "church of Christ." Such silliness is why I am prone to state that "liberals never make any sense."
Do the shepherds from Rubel's Family of God(??) agree that Billy Graham teaches the truth? Do they agree that Billy teaches some error? A little error! A lot of error, or no error? How much error will the Shelly shepherds support? Will the Shelly shepherds be selective as to the various and sundry errors which they will condone? How can a shepherd refuse to believe a false tenet, yet encourage the teaching and preaching of the falsehood? Will the Shelly shepherds agree for Rubel to preach the basics of Baptist doctrine at Woodmont Hills? Will the Shelly shepherds support, encourage, assist and promote Billy Graham as he preaches Baptist doctrine during the big campaign and also support, encourage, assist and help Shelly to preach the same things at Woodmont Hills?
> Will Shelly's shepherds shepherd Shelly to sally forth and affirm or defend the articles of Calvinism as taught by Billy Graham and other Baptist preachers? Will Shelly's shepherds openly proclaim the Baptist falsehood of total depravity? Will they agree with Billy at the Crusade but disagree with the doctrine at Woodmont Hills? Will Shelly's shepherds agree with Billy in the foolishness of a direct operation of the Holy Spirit in conversion while hob-nobbing at the Graham Crusade but object to such at Woodmont Hills? Will Shelly's shepherds agree with Billy Graham when he preaches salvation by faith alone at the Crusades, but deny the false doctrine at Woodmont Hills? Will Shelly's shepherds agree with Billy when he preaches the impossibility of apostasy at the Crusade, but deny the false doctrine at Woodmont Hills?
> I state plainly that in no other area will such contradictory, bungling, inconsistent, two-faced, vacillating, fickleness, irresolute, and flighty disposition be found.
> Let no one assert that I do not love good shepherds who know and attend to their duty. I despise the fellow who thinks that his duty as a shepherd is to polish his badge, invite wolves in to devour the flock and substitute a cotton string for backbone.
There have been and still are a great number of misfits who want to hold an office, like the old time Justice-of-the-Peace. It is possible for a shepherd to be...
1) Foolish. God told Zechariah to, "take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd" (Zech. 11:15). Of course the sheep can likewise be foolish but it could be due to foolish shepherds.
2) A shepherd can be worthless. The Lord spoke against Zechariah and said, "woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock..." (Zech. 11:17). How frequently do we hear of shepherds who turn aside for the golden wedge and Babylonian garment. I can name a few such characters.
> 3) The prophet Isaiah described the shepherds of his day as, "...greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter" (Isa. 56:11). I will not bear down too heavily on the prophet's comparison of shepherds with greedy dogs, but I cannot say enough about those shepherds who cannot understand. The great problem which looms before the church of Christ is seen in shepherds who absolutely refuse to see, understand and know what the new crop of wolves is hatching out.
4) It was no compliment when Nahum spoke of the Assyrian shepherds who slumbered (Nahum 3:18). Has this not been our problem down through the ages? Is it not the case that prophets and apostles have warned shepherds and sheep against going to sleep? If there were no dangers, the shepherds might well snooze, but one can hardly watch over the flock while one is asleep.
> 5) Sometimes sheep can carelessly wander astray and become lost but it is possible for shepherds to lead the flock astray. Jeremiah wrote, "my people have been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place" (Jer. 50:6). Would any man called a shepherd lead the flock astray? I have always thought that shepherds were responsible for the flock. When shepherds invite a false teacher to come to the city, they are involved in leading the sheep astray.
> The unconcern of some shepherds for the flock is seen when Ezekiel wrote, "my sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. As I live saith the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock. ... Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my flock at their hand and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them" (Ezek. 34:8-10).
>I suspect there is more hope for a four-legged sheep than for a two-legged shepherd who refuses to see the terrible situation which has happened to the flock of God. Indeed, "you just can't show some people anything."
> There are some commendable traits to be found in honorable shepherds. A worthy shepherd...
> 1) Pities the sheep (Zech. 11:5). We read where Jehovah declared, "...and their own shepherds pity them not." I thought that one reason for being a shepherd was to show pity to the sheep. How often have we seen just the opposite when a bishop begins to feel superior and looks condescendingly upon others.
> 2) The shepherds are to feed the flock (Acts 20:28). What a grave responsibility! The hireling has no interest in the flock but he has tremendous interest in himself.
3) The shepherds are very careful to keep the flock. Jeremiah said of Jehovah, "He that scattered Israel will gather him and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock" (Jer. 31:10). Do we not understand the vigilance and care for the flock as shown by the shepherd? Among other things it means to guard the flock against false teachers. I do not believe the liberal shepherds are so dense and demented as not to know truth from error. My conviction is that such creepers have no regard for the truth.
> 4) Let us be reminded that God condemned the ancient shepherds because they refused to, "...search for my flock" (Ezek. 34:8). Is a sheep worth searching for when it gets lost? Our Lord thought a sheep was worth dying for in order to save the sheep from a wolf (John 10:11-13). One thing is certain, the liberal hireling shepherd will have to answer to the chief shepherd. The confraternity of liberals will be reaping forever due to being derelict in their duties to the flock.
> --Wayne Coats, Editor
> The reader will please note how Harold brazenly opposed Billy Graham, but that of course was yesterday before evolution became so prominent among the liberals. Also, take note of how the young David so very courageously challenged the Baptist Goliath for an "open discussion of his doctrines any time he can arrange such...be it 5, 10, or 20 years from now."
Please notice where Harold wrote "we desire open discussion of religious differences." Could it be possible that Hazelip has repented with the same deep sorrow characteristic of Rubel Shelly?
It is certain that Billy Graham has not changed his views
during the past decades. He continues to preach Baptist doctrine
just as he did in days gone by. Has Harold Hazelip changed his
faith with reference to the scriptures cited in his bulletin
article? Are those scriptures obsolete and without meaning? Since
Shelly is promoting the Baptist doctrine of Billy Graham, would
Hazelip care to issue a challenge to Shelly for an "open
discussion of his doctrines?" Does Hazelip "desire open
discussion of religious differences?" Is it the case that when a
mortar board is rammed down on the head of some men, the cogs of
evolution begin to turn and grind out chameleons? I am just
asking.
Through a perversion of Jesus' teaching concerning
"judging," some have concluded that opposition to any doctrine is
wrong. Jesus said, "Judge righteous judgment" (John 7:24) and
taught that we shall know false teachers by their fruits (Matt.
7:15-20). Any thinking person exercises his judgment, and anyone
with conviction speaks it. Mr. Graham opposes many doctrines in
his book, PEACE WITH GOD, more than once calling names of
exponents of error.
Our opposition to the Graham crusade is not through
preference but from conviction. We shall not reflect upon any
person, but shall expose false doctrine. We distinguish between
tenets and men. We simply urge a comparison of Mr. Graham's
teachings with Bible teaching. Our quotations are from his book,
PEACE WITH GOD, his newspaper column, MY ANSWER; and the text of
the sermons of his Nashville Crusade (1954), printed by THE
NASHVILLE, BANNER, Nashville, Tenn.
Mr. Graham: "Consequently Cain and Abel were infected with the death-dealing disease of sin, which they inherited from their parents and which has been passed on to every generation since. We are all sinners by inheritance..." (Peace With God, pp.42-43).
The Bible: "The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him" (Ezek. 18:20).
Mr. Graham: "Now the Bible says we are all born in sin." "Every person that has ever been born is born in sin." (Nashville Sermons, pp. 9,17).
The Bible: "Jesus called a little child unto him, and set
him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except
ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not
enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 18:2-3).
Mr. Graham: "Conversion can take many different forms. The way it is accomplished depends largely upon the individual--his temperament, his emotional balance, his environment, and his previous conditioning and the way of life" (Peace With God, p.110).
The Bible: "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:13).
Mr. Graham: "Being born again is altogether a work of the Holy Spirit. There is nothing that you can do to obtain this new birth...In other words, there is nothing you can do about it...The new birth is wholly foreign to our will" (Peace With God, p.146).
The Bible: "Jesus answered, Verily, verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). "Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit...Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by word of God..." (1 Peter 1:22-23).
Mr. Graham: "...The moment we repent of sin and turn by faith to Jesus Christ we are born again" (Peace With God, p.147).
The Bible: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16).
Mr. Graham: "It is true that thousands of Christians do not know the exact day or hour that they came to know Christ. Their faith and life testify that consciously or unconsciously they have been converted to Christ" (Peace With God, p.155).
The Bible: "And they went down both into the water, both
Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him, And when they were
come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away
Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more! and he went on his way
rejoicing" (Acts 8:38-39).
Mr. Graham: "You say, 'But Billy, what shall I do?' Repent, believe, surrender, you can do it tonight before you leave this stadium...and you will be reconciled to God" (Nashville Sermons, p.31).
The Bible: "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men, and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:37-38).
Mr. Graham: "...Those who surrender their lives to Him and receive Him into their hearts. It is this act that makes you a Christian" (My Answer, 9/15/1955).
The Bible: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21).
Mr. Graham: "Paul says that a man is justified before God by faith alone..." (My Answer, 9/14/1956).
The Bible: "For ye are all the children of God by faith in
Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into
Christ have put on Christ" (Gal. 3:26-27). "...Work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12). "Ye see then how
that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only" (James
2:24).
Mr. Graham: "Actually, repentance cannot take place unless first there is a movement of the Holy Spirit in the heart and mind" (Peace With God, p.123).
The Bible: "I Tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). Note: Whose fault is it if man does not receive the direct operation of the Holy Spirit and is lost?
Mr. Graham: "No man can ever be saved unless the Holy Spirit in supernatural, penetrating power comes and works upon your heart." "You can't come to Christ any time you want to, you can only come when the Spirit of God is drawing and pulling and wooing" (Nashville Sermons, pp.18-20).
The Bible: "And the Spirit and the bride say come. And let
him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come, And
whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Rev.
22:17). Note: coming to God is conditioned only on man's will.
God is always willing.
Mr. Graham: "In that day our long and ardent prayer, 'Thy kingdom come,' shall be answered at last." "It may well be true now that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled" (Peace With God, pp.240,239).
The Bible: "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son" (Col. 1:13) Note: The Kingdom had already come. Jesus' statement quoted above by Mr. Graham was spoken by Jesus of His generation on earth and was true! See Matt. 24:34.
Mr. Graham: "But after the judgment this time will come the cleansing of the earth..." (Nashville Sermons p.28).
The Bible: "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in
the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great
noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. The earth
also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (2 Peter
3:10).
Mr. Graham: "The New Testament teaches that while there is actually only one church, there can be any number of local churches formed into various denominations and societies or councils. These local churches and denominational groups may be divided along national and theological lines, or according to the temperament of their members. However, the New Testament teaches that even though there may be many cleavages and divisions within the structure of the church, yet we have only 'one Lord'" (Peace With God, p.190).
The Bible: "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one God and Father of all..." (Eph. 4:4-6). "And He is the head of the body the church..." (Col. 1:18). Note: The body of Christ is the church, and the same passage that says there is one Lord says there is one body. There is no New Testament passage that even hints of a justification of division which Mr. Graham claims above!
Mr. Graham: "Whenever anyone points a critical finger and demands to know why there have to be so many different churches all serving the same God, I am always tempted to point out how many different styles of hats to be designed for both American men and women" (Peace With God, p.193).
The Bible: "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou Father art in
me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the
world may believe that thou hast sent me" (John 17:20-21). "Now I
beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that
ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among
you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind
and in the same judgment...Is Christ divided" (1 Cor. 1:10,13)?
This list could be lengthened immeasurably; indeed a "Graham vs. Graham" (column could be printed without garbling quotations. Our plea is that men "try the spirits whether they be of God." Burying our heads in the sand will not erase error that is being taught and believed. The very principles underlying such man-centered publicity, or such aloofness from controversial issues that involve men's souls, are foreign to New Testament Christianity. "We desire open discussion of religious differences. We realize that Mr. Graham has a crowded schedule; but in view of eternal consequences, we respectfully invite an open discussion of his doctrines any time he can arrange such -- be it 5, 10 or 20 years from now. Year's pass quickly, eternity more slowly. In the interest of souls -- "Come now, and let us reason together."
(Above article prepared for newspaper publication.
Underscoring ours. Harold Hazelip, Sept. 27, 1956)
It is always good for us to remember the past. Sacred history is sometimes a painful teacher, but one from which we can benefit if we take heed to the mistakes of others. The Hebrews writer warned people of the consequences of their failing to remember the past (Heb. 2:14). The Old Testament has been preserved for our learning lest we forget and fall into sin (Rom. 15:4). The apostle Paul declared that Israel's wilderness experiences are to serve as examples for us lest we also fall (1 Cor. 1:1-12).
> Serious Bible students are aware of the historical time-period known as the Divided Kingdom. In time, the Northern Kingdom was taken into Assyrian captivity (ca. 722 B.C.). Later, the Southern Kingdom was taken into Babylonian captivity with the final "carrying away" in 586 B.C. Interestingly, the Southern Kingdom's captivity was due, in part, because she failed to remember how her northern sister, Israel, had sinned and what Jehovah had done to punish her. Like the Northern Kingdom, the Southern Kingdom had turned away from God and was worshipping idols. She had corrupted true worship and replaced the only true God with her idols. Brethren, lest we too forget, read on.
> It is not at all uncommon to learn of so many departures from the faith which the Lord's church is now experiencing. One such area of departure is in our congregational worship. The "I want to feel good" mind-set, along with the "entertainment craze," which has long been the hallmark of denominationalism, has now made serious inroads in many congregational worship services. When the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of God's people began to change their worship and decided for themselves how they would worship, God punished them with the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities. Are we immune to God's wrath? If God allowed his people to be sent into captivity because they forgot him (Jer. 2:13), what suppose ye will he do with us, if we commit the same sins(s)? The Bible has the answer. Today, a much "sorer punishment" awaits the disobedient (Heb. 10:29).
Brethren, these new innovations which are now frequently occurring in congregational worship, i.e., choirs, solos, quartets, and instrumental music, in place of congregational singing, along with hand clapping, all have one thing in common; they each exist without any Bible authority. The man does not live who can successfully defend these practices in public debate. And, the "change-agents," among us, know this is true. Have you wondered why a man like Rubel Shelly, who once was not afraid to publicly debate anyone, is now "as silent as the tomb" when challenged to debate his departures from the faith? Here is why: "change-agents" care nothing about having Bible authority for these innovations in worship, neither do they care for the souls of the misguided and uninformed members of the church.
> My dear brother or sister-in-Christ, wake up before it's too late! Listen to the voices of Old Testament experience which warn us of the consequences of failing to worship God as he has directed. Israel and Judah fell because they respected not God's authorized form of worship and so did Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron (Lev. 10:1,2). If we fail to worship God as He has directed (authorized), will He be pleased with us? We must have Bible authority for all that we do -- including our worship (Col. 3:17).
Think about it.
503 Harrison Ave.
Jay, FL 32565
DEAR BROTHER COATS:
We continue to pray for the brethren at Villages Church of Christ, your continued improvement, and your family. Your value to the brotherhood cannot be measured. The brotherhood is fortunate that you have "set the trumpet to thy mouth" (Hosea 8:1). The trumpet is a call to alertness and action for the faithful, but to the apostates a "dreadful sound in his ears" (Job 15:20,21). Like Adonijah (1 Kings 1:41), the apostates eat/drink/flatter themselves, and are described by Paul as those "who serve not the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple" (Rom. 16:18; Phil. 3:19). When "Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar" (1 Kings 1:41)? However, during their period of merriment and confidence "David hath made Solomon king" (1 Kings 1:43).
> I am enclosing a newspaper article about the Madison Church of Christ building addition that will cost $1.7 million. It is interesting that: 1) There is no mention of the elders; 2) The emphasis is upon everything (e.g., programs) but the gospel; and 3) One of those mentioned is Jim Stanley, involvement minister. He was the former education director at West Huntsville (where we attend) and a "change agent." He was fond of Calvinistic doctrine and liberalism, injecting both into the classrooms and pulpit. I exposed his unscriptural ideas and deeds to the elders and after several hard fought battles (over a 3-year period), thankfully, he left for the Madison Church of Christ in Huntsville, Alabama.
These words from Paul ring loud and true, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears, And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables" (2 Tim. 4:3,4).
EDITOR'S NOTE: Many thanks to brother Danny Bennett for
those words of encouragement. It helps to know that there are
brethren who appreciate what I am trying to do. So many remind me
of Moses when he was a young man. The Bible says Moses,
"...looked this way and that way...." About the best some can do
is get in a huddle and ask, "What can we do?" My stock answer is
go back to sleep. Have you ever tried to wake a corpse? Don't!
The modernists have experienced a steady decline in church membership as well as their ordained clergy. This crucial problem has been one of the factors in opening up pulpits to the feminists. There are more than 50,000 ordained women clergy among the Protestant denominations. In 1996, 33.9% of all seminary students were women.
>I have written the above to tell our shut-mouth, lock-jaw brethren, who bask in their all-positive ignorance while refusing to say anything that looks like modernism and liberalism, and I promise that ere long some lassie will bring her credentials from one of "our" universities where she majored in some sort of ministry -- and she will sing the old ditty, "move over big dog, 'cause the little dog is moving in."
The subscriptions to the Plumbline have not reached the astronomical figures of the Readers Digest but I will contend that our efforts far surpasses the amount of good being done by the Digest. We try to keep brethren informed relative to the inroads of the liberals. You can help in this respect and I urge you to do this. Please send information pertaining to the skullduggery of the liberals in your area. This is needed as a part of the history of our times, as well as to help brethren keep informed.
If there is a time and place for the Plumbline, please help by getting subscribers. I do not expect anything to be said about the paper by way of approval -- upon the part of our very sound, faithful, cultured, all-positive preachers. Any commendation will have to come from good brethren and sisters who are not ashamed of our Lord and not ashamed to own the Lord or blush to speak his name.
>I know for a fact that one of the very profitable fads which is being introduced into so many of the left-wing liberal groups is, "the small groups ministry." This cultic system has been borrowed from the sectarians and is the same system which was used by the Crossroads-Boston cult when they had their prayer-partners and cell outfits. The Fairfax church in Fairfax, VA has started a, "small group ministry." If you haven't heard, the church has, "a small groups minister." Their bulletin advertises, "small groups chaplains, and a children's minister."
Jerry Jones and wife have just conducted a "seminar on marriage" at the Benton, KY, Church of Christ. Jerry was a dyed-in-the-wool Boston cultic member after he was fired from Harding University. He could not be top dog with Kip McKeen but he could come back south and speak for the Digressives and liberals. He was as much at home among the digressive Christian Church as he was among the Crossroads-Boston cults. The Benton, KY, church is poverty-stricken for speakers. I would think there are any number of denominational preachers in that area who would pitch in and help--for a price.
The Fairfax Church is hosting a youth rally with Jeff Walling as speaker. Here is another fellow who is perfectly at home with the Digressives. You cannot show liberal elders anything, or tell them anything about all the heretics who are running around loose.
The TV news report of last evening informed listeners that Tennessee has the second highest divorce rate of any state in the nation, falling behind only Nevada. Not only is the divorce rate astronomical but the rate of inveterate liars is also high. When couples get married they make some kind of vows. These vary to be sure but none-the-less there are vows. The vows are broken with impunity, apparently with no more bother than breaking a toothpick.
>I noticed where Gloria Steinem declared, "By the year 2000, we will I hope raise our children to believe in human potential, not God." Does not every Jewess realize that it was, "human potential," that slaughtered six million Jews? The blabber mouth spluttered, "We must overthrow the whole patriarchy." "For the sake of those who wish to live in equal partnership, we have to abolish and reform the institution of marriage." Gloria and her gang are doing a successful job in Tennessee where preachers want to be all positive and have little impact either in or out of the pulpit.
The rearing of children needs to be turned over to a Kubbutzim system, somewhat like raising litters of dogs. The system is pretty well practiced on some of the Army Posts where little children are cared for while their mommies play soldier.
> The feminists babble that we need to degender our language which would eliminate such words as, mankind, chairman, fellowman, postman, etc. In 1982, the National Council of Churches issued a new format where God is mother and father, the son of God is the Human one.
> Now the popular thing to do is keep quiet and burn the Plumbline. I do not know for certain why Tennessee has such a high rate of divorce. I cannot think of a valid hypothesis and if I could, I would not know how to consider all the many variables. Does anyone have an opinion as to why Tennessee has retrogressed down to the animal level in the area of marriage and divorce?
Every city, town, village and hamlet in the state has one or more churches but their influence is practically nil in curbing divorce.
It is still true that, "the wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God" (Psalm 9:17).
According to the county paper, "The Harvest Christian Fellowship" was founded in 1993 as a member of the Belmont Family of Churches. The Church is, "known for its exuberant praise and contemporary worship...."
The apostle Don Finto, lately of Lipscomb and the Una congregation, has his Family of Churches. "A service dedicated to healing, signs and wonders will be held December 18, at 6 P.M. at Harvest Community Center." God is, "...healing the sick and miracles are happening."
Among the most important events of 1999: "Pentecostalism becomes the fastest growing segment of Christianity in the 20th century," according to A. P. Religion writer, Richard Ostling. My prediction is that more so-called churches of Christ will move over into Pentecostalism as young divines are hatched out of the Universities.
The World AIDS Day of 1999, "...focused on the 11 million orphans left behind by a plague..." so said the Herald-Tribune of Sarasota, Florida. The Albuquerque Journal (NM) stated that 2.5 million people died of AIDS last year. By the end of next year, some 13 million orphans will be left. In Nigeria, the AIDS virus infects a new person every minute. AIDS Day on last Wednesday did a little sputtering, but who is so naive as to think that the gross immorality which causes the spread of aids, will cease and desist?
The same blind, listless, indifferent, ignorant disposition which causes AIDS to circumvent the globe is the sort of apathy which allows the liberal virus to spread among congregations. Who said, "You just can't tell some people anything?"
A Baptist preacher was riding with me in a funeral procession. He related that he had been trying his best to get his members to give more money. He just couldn't squeeze more dollars out of the people so in desperation the poor, disgruntled, preacher said, "I just told them to go on to hell and take their money with them." I really did not know that Baptists believed in hell-fire as the penalty for not giving. I do agree that we need to relate scriptures and show the kind of people who will be consigned to torment. Shudder the thought of being lost forever without any reprieve. This disturbs me no little and I pray constantly that I might not be lost.
"Leaders from three branches of our heritage..." is the way a "Stone-Campbell Meeting" for dialogue between the Disciples of Christ, the Independent Christian Church and Churches of Christ was advertised.
The Disciples had three representatives, the Independents had three representatives and guess what: Mike Armour of Skillman Avenue of Dallas, Texas, Doug Foster of ACU and Phillip Morrison (editor of Wineskins) were the triplets who were to represent you. Wow! It seems that the men met to "...discuss ways to lessen the impact of division...." How utterly absurd! Who do Armour, Foster and Morrison think they represent? As to "branches of our heritage," this is the same kind of palaver which one would expect from the far-out liberals who continue to mold and make the church into another denomination. While their ecumenical, mamby-pamby, compromising meetings continue, so many of my dear brothers continue to be afflicted with the deadly malady of lockjaw. Sometimes cowardice seems to be contagious.
I do not see that it is a mark of intelligence or faith when error abounds and we, "know to do good and doeth it not" (James 4:17).
One time I wrote a paragraph which stated that if the sectarians, false teachers, and/or heretics decided to send a committee to hell to investigate the place, some of my so-called brethren would very quickly set up a crew to beat the others to the infernal place. Leave it to the school men to devise committees to study, investigate, dig and search for somebody's roots back to the Restoration era. When they finish with their hocus-pocus study, they are sure that the church of Christ is just another denomination. Of course the pilferers believed such hog-wash before they began this scholarly research.
Carroll Osburn, ultra modernist of ACU was scheduled to lead a seminar on the Gospel of Mark at Rubel Shelly's Church in Nashville. Osburn can tell you all about how Mark got his information from Ur Markus--and so forth and so on. Shelly can tell your children from Lipscomb the same kind of modernism when they flock to his Church.
Such freakish ideas from ACU, Shelly, Lipscomb, etc. is what brother Milton Sewell of FHU calls, "Christian Education." If this is not so, why did Milton write a letter and relate the fact that Steve Flatt would also be writing to encourage people to support "Christian Education." Does he not know or care about the affinity of Lipscomb with Shelly?
> Do not forget the hordes of Administration, Faculty and students from Lipscomb who hop over to Rubel's Church. To approve of Lipscomb is to approve of Shellyism, Osburn, ad nauseum.
The present craze for doing something big, great, huge, stupendous and calossal can be seen in the Cathedral-like structures which are being built by all kinds of religious people. Millions and more millions are being put into bricks, mortar and steel while people are headed for hell and destruction.
>A tour throughout Europe will show the futility of erecting elaborate "sanctuaries." Those things stand empty and are demonstrations of man's pride and stupidity.
When one looks at the old 1917 Christian Standard Digressive paper, one sees the mania for large, expensive, appealing structures. The paper is filled with pictures of those ornate buildings, but with the passing of time practically all of those towers of waste became empty.
The carnal, worldly, show off, disposition has permeated the thinking of so many religious people including our brethren. It helps a preacher's resumé to brag about building a huge cathedral.
I notice where Shelly, the apostate, is adding a four million dollar structure to his meeting house. That should make more room for Lipscomb faculty and students to meet and have fun.
I noticed in the paper, "Seek The Old Paths," where brother Garland Robinson printed the copy-cat efforts of Steve Flatt who spoke word for word and sentence for sentence in so much of his speech as he copied a lesson delivered by Rubel Shelly. One has to be brazen beyond belief to use the material of another and refuse to acknowledge the source. As I remember, such tactics has been of old time called plagiarism which defined is, "to steal or purloin and pass off as one's own ideas, words, writings, etc. of another" (Webster).
> I shan't soon forget that Steve Flatt said the Plumbline should be called "Plumblies." Lo and behold, the paper has not condescended to the low depths of stealing another's ideas and words. I do try to be honest and give credit where it is due without passing off ideas of others as if they were my own. I really think everyone in the church should read, "Rubel's Rubbish or the Mountain Sermon Mangled by Modernism. And also, "How Flatt Flattened the Master's Sermon or Playing Simons sez with Shelly."
Thanks brother Robinson for your efforts in exposing the
liberals in your paper, "Seek The Old Paths." The stuff which
appears in the Plumbline is not copyrighted. Use it if you wish.
